Norse Stories is Hamilton Wright Mabie's classic retelling of the myths of Odin, Thor, Loki, Freya, Balder, Asgard, the giants, and the twilight of the gods. Drawn from the Eddas and shaped for young and general readers, these stories present the great imaginative world of Norse mythology: the creation of the world, the ordering of Asgard, the deeds of the gods, the tricks of Loki, heroic struggle, doom, sacrifice, and the final shadow of Ragnarök.
First published around 1900 as Norse Stories Retold from the Eddas, Mabie's collection belongs to the long tradition of making ancient myth accessible through clear literary retelling. The book preserves the grandeur and strangeness of the old northern stories while presenting them in a form suitable for classic juvenile reading and family libraries. Heritage History describes the Eddas as Icelandic sagas preserving the great doings of the Norse gods, including the creation story, Asgard, Odin, Loki, Thor, Freya, and Balder.
For readers of classic children's literature, Norse mythology, traditional stories, heroic legend, and literary retellings from the Eddas, Norse Stories remains a strong introduction to one of the great mythic traditions of Europe: severe, imaginative, heroic, and filled with gods who face fate as well as glory.